I'm just wondering... is it me or is it generally impossible to get a good hit rate with the D800 when using the above focus settings for portraits when focusing on the eyes for portraits. My hit rate is very poor when using primes, not just at f1.4 necessarily but stopped down a bit to f2 or f2.8. This is not a lens problem with front focus or backfocus (yes, I've tested this), nor is this a left AF problem... It's specifically a problem with Af-C.

I get a ton of shots where the focus point is on one eye (and I am very mindful), yet the resulting focus is on the other eye or the shot is OOF...I'm using focus priority. Again, I recognize that shallow DOF always makes things challenging and that AF in the viewfinder is in reality smaller than the focus area, but this isn't even a subject that's moving... and again I make sure that I get sufficiently close that the AF covers the eye area. I'm not using 9, 21 or 51 points, but specifically the single-point focus mode. When I'm reviewing the shots in View NX, the red square is on the correct eye, but the focus is off.

Personally, I'd never use "focus priority" with AF-C on ANY NIkon body....
your words...but this isn't even a subject that's moving
Try AF-S and single point if you insist on focus priority, just sayin'

Actually, I sent a D800e in for repair for focus consistency issues that sound a bit like yours. I could take the same static subject and one time it's sharp, the next not so much. My first suggestion is to try a number of AF friendly (static, inanimate) targets and see if focus is spot on each and every time. If it's not, you may have an AF issue.

Steve Perry wrote:
Actually, I sent a D800e in for repair for focus consistency issues that sound a bit like yours. I could take the same static subject and one time it's sharp, the next not so much. My first suggestion is to try a number of AF friendly (static, inanimate) targets and see if focus is spot on each and every time. If it's not, you may have an AF issue.

Just a thought.

It depends on the subject... but I'm finding it's too jumpy on certain subjects and produces OOF shots. Did they fix your D800e?

There is no focus priority setting for AF-C, just focus + release which just slows the framerate. Even f/2 and f/2.8 has very shallow dof at portrait distances. If the subject is static use AF-S, that way the camera is not trying to track with potentially focus jumping backwards and forwards slightly.

All this said, fast primes seem to not be particularly consistent in this scenario perhaps due to their lower contrast. 2.8 zooms seem much more consistent.

There is no focus priority setting for AF-C, just focus + release which just slows the framerate.

in the menu there is. It's called "focus" "focus + release" is a separate setting.

Even f/2 and f/2.8 has very shallow dof at portrait distances. If the subject is static use AF-S, that way the camera is not trying to track with potentially focus jumping backwards and forwards slightly.
I'm using AF-C to compensate for slight movement of my hand...

All this said, fast primes seem to not be particularly consistent in this scenario perhaps due to their lower contrast. 2.8 zooms seem much more consistent.

Possibly, but that doesn't stop others from getting great results with primes, not to mention it's necessary to use f2 and higher due to lighting sometimes.

I find that on my 85 1.4D, at 1.4, the focus accuracy (AF fine tuning) changes requirements based on focal distance... If I am 10 feet from something and fine tune til its perfect, the af tune requirements are very different as I approach minimum focal distance. I usually leave it on single area, continuous focus, release priority and pop two or three shots as I very slowly lean in, kind of giving myself a little 'focus bracketing'... I do that with all cameras at 1.4 on the 85, though, its really habit now... keeper rate is not what it should be on any of them at 1.4 up close, but I shoot way too many frames and get what I need usually.

m_appeal wrote:
It depends on the subject... but I'm finding it's too jumpy on certain subjects and produces OOF shots. Did they fix your D800e?

I haven't used it a ton since it came back (I will be in the next few weeks), but it does seem much better. In the sample images you posted it does look like a consistency problem to me since one if front focused and the other is back focused.

m_appeal wrote:
Not in my experience... see the examples posted. Well I should say that the camera did find a target but it's not what's under that red square that's in focus.

Give the method mentioned a try. Nothing to lose. Also, do you need to shoot in AF-C mode when shooting portraits? I think Monkey's advice makes sense. That's how I shoot static scenes with the D800E before I moved to the D4.

trenchmonkey wrote:
Personally, I'd never use "focus priority" with AF-C on ANY NIkon body....
your words...
Try AF-S and single point if you insist on focus priority, just sayin'

Trench: Care to explain this? Focus priority in AF-C with spot focus seems to work okay on my D4 and D800 when subjects are moving. Having said that, most of my targets walk on 2 legs - they rarely run, and don't have wings

Sure, John. You can miss "the moment" waiting for focus to get off it's butt in AF-C.
99% of what I shoot moves, by letting release have the reins...you're odds increase
to nail that sucker as you raise the camera/lens. a1 gives you 3 choices
*Release
*Release & Focus
*Focus
Try 'em all, you'll see "Release" is by far the quickest responder. FWIW, other (a) settings directly impact
speed and accuracy of the AF as well as f2.8 glass and the # of AF points. I'd be glad to discuss this further
via PM or cell.

m_appeal wrote:
Not in my experience... see the examples posted. Well I should say that the camera did find a target but it's not what's under that red square that's in focus.

What selection did you have for a1: Release, Release + focus or Focus?
The reason I ask is because your explanation above from the thread info on DPReveiw sounds like were you in either Release or Release + focus.

BTW - are you the same m_appeal that interacted with michaeladawson in the DPReview thread mentioned? If so, sorry to be redundant. :-)